“He who is not every day conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dare is the first book in Allie Juliette Mousseau’s new series entitled Brothers of Ink and Steel. What a pleasant surprise this book turned out to be! Sweet, sexy and not overly angsty. Right up my alley!

Sophie Garner is a single mother trying to make a life for herself and her three year old daughter, Charlie. Despite the fact that Sophie has been on the run from an abusive husband for a few years, she has managed to further her education and become a trained massage therapist. It is working at the hospital in Williston, North Dakota where she is asked to work on a new patient who is injured. This new patient happens to be none other than Josh “The Jackhammer” North, a UFC Lightweight Champion. When Sophie is offered the job to be Josh’s exclusive massage therapist, it is difficult for her to refuse the salary and benefits being put on the table. This would mean financial security for Sophie and Charlie should she have to pick up and run once again. However, the risk of exposure is high when you’re around someone who is in the public eye. Josh’s offer is tempting, but is Sophie daring enough to take the risk?

“What if I never want to let you go?” I ask.

“I’d say you better hold on tight.”

*****

“I’ll fight for it – for you, for your love and for Charlie – harder than I’ve ever fought for anything before.”

*****

“Love can get through anything. It finds a way.” Tenderly he brushes my cheek. “I know you’re bruised, Sophie. I see the broken. Let me fix it.”

*****

“Sophie is my happy.”

As Sophie and Josh spend time together, their innate attraction is undeniable and Josh becomes more and more determined to break through the highly erected walls Sophie has put up. Josh also finds himself falling head over heels for Charlie. But with so much at stake for her and Charlie, getting involved with Josh is simply not something Sophie can take a chance on no matter how much her heart is telling her to trust the sexy fighter. Both Josh and Sophie have pasts they would rather keep hidden. As everything comes out into the open can both Josh and Sophie dare to trust in one another enough to make it work?

All in all, Dare was an entertaining read that quickly engrossed me. I loved both Josh and Sophie and loved seeing the progression of their sweet tale of romance. What prevented this book from being a five star read for me was the fact that I felt things at the end wrapped up too quickly and there were some loose ends I would have liked to see taken care of. With this being said though, I am very much looking forward to more books in this series. We are briefly introduced to the men who make up the brothers of ink and steel. Can’t wait for more!

“You’ve got to dare to push through the fear. You’ve got to dare to find the broken pieces and put yourself back together. And when you can’t find all the pieces, you have to dare to be stronger, so new ones can grow in their place. That’s when you’ll find your true self and be whole again.”